Water Main Break Floods Homes In Fox Chase

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A water main break in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia has left several basements flooded and 25 homes without water service.

A stretch of Strahle Street, near Verree Road, is a muddy mess after officials with the Philadelphia Water Department say an 8-inch main burst around 8:30 a.m. Sunday -- and startled the neighborhood.

"It's literally a creek running down the middle of the street," said one neighbor. "It tore up my driveway. It went into my neighbors' houses."

A few feet of water filled several basements in the bitter cold, leaving residents very frustrated. Neighbors say they first reported water leaking onto the street on Friday, but crews didn't fix the problem until it was too late.

Water Department spokesman John DiGiulio says that's because they're swamped this winter and they need to prioritize.

"So we do leave some water mains running, the ones that we find are not causing damage at the time," DiGiulio said. "Unfortunately, this one did break and has caused some property damage."

Damage that several families now have to deal with.

In:
• Water Main Break
• KYW Newsradio
• Philadelphia